This invention is a carriage for supporting during use a normally handheld electric polishing tool over a work surface.
Polishing tools of the handheld variety have an elongated body terminating in a handle. A drive shaft extending laterally from the body of the tool is adapted to carry at its free end a polishing wheel, such as a sander or a cloth buffer. The conventional tool is heavy, weighing about eight pounds. During use of the tool its body is held raised above a work surface with the polishing wheel contacting the work work surface. Both hands are required to hold the tool in proper relation to the work. Accordingly, when the tool is used in polishing an extended area, the arms of the operator progressively become tired under the weight of the tool, and frequent periods of rest are required to relieve aching muscles. Obviously, with this manner of using the tool, the time for doing large area polishing jobs is undesirably prolonged and the energy spent in doing so is exhausting to the operator.
Further, to obtain a fine finish to the work the tool must be held in a position in which the polishing wheel is maintained at a proper level with a uniform pressure against the work. But, when the arms of the operator become tired, this uniform pressure is difficult to maintain. Accordingly, resulting up and down movements of the tired arms of the operator may result in greater pressure being exerted by the polishing wheel over some areas than others. This may produce a less than evenly polished surface, one having slight waves or depressions in it. This may be particularly so when polishing a conventional polyester or other plastic coated surface.
Now, a general object of the present invention is to provide a carriage as a support for an electric polishing tool of the normally handheld type, and which in supporting the tool will leave the hands of the operator free to merely guide the carriage with the tool thereon over a work surface. The weight of the tool will accordingly be borne by the carriage and not by the operator.
Another object of the invention is to provide a carriage for supporting a normally handheld polishing tool in such manner that the polishing wheel will during its rotation contact the work surface with a uniform pressure throughout a polishing operation.
And a further, though not the last of the objects of the invention, is to provide a carriage for a normally handheld polishing tool which supports the tool upon a platform relative to a base member, wherein the platform is adjustable vertically relative to the base so as to vary, when desired, the degree of pressured contact of the polishing wheel with the work surface.
The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention, as well as others, will become increasingly apparent as this specification continues in further detail.